Listeners Give Advice About Career Changes

"Paula I woke up this morning and I seriously am thinking about changing my career. Without saying too much, I work in business in Dublin, and my commute is almost 2 hours... each way. I hate it."

This was a text from a very fed-up listener this morning at 5am.

Do they hate the commute or their job?

Did anyone else ever change careers?

Any advice?

Some inspiring stories from the listeners of The Early Breakfast below!

“Paula! Me! I worked in banking and finance for 10 years but hated it. I was tired of dreading work, and have always wanted to be a teacher, so when I was 29 I trained to become a primary school teacher! Best decision of my life. Life is literally too short to be stuck doing something you hate. It's never too late to make a change!”

“47 years old, have changed jobs and careers many times. Can confirm, life continues. Am not dead!”

“Paula, I commuted to off shore Western Australia from Ireland. 23 days on, and1 week at home. 1 year of it wrecked me. Quit it a year ago!”

“Paula,I have been travelling for 2 hours one way to get to work for the last 1.5years. I started doing it every second day to save driving every day and stayed in Dublin every other day. I love what I do but I was so stressed and hated not being at home. My home life was starting to suffer as I would be thinking about having to go back up every time I went home. I have been thinking about a career but have been afraid to go back to studying. I was so miserable and stressed that one day I just handed in my notice. This is my last week in work. I am so relieved and relaxed already. I have applied to go back to college and have an interview for the course in 2 weeks. My family are very supportive as they see how draining the commute is. I would rather have no money and be happy than be unhappy with a wage coming in! No job is worth a commute that long, no matter how much you think it is!”

“Went back to school to earn a PhD at age 32. Best decision I ever made. There were people 20 years older than me in the program, it's never too late!”

“I trained as a primary school teacher, then did my first year as a teacher and quit. It made me miserable and seeped into every minute of my life, so I started a tattoo apprenticeship and have been happily doing that for the past 8 years now!”

“Have you ever heard the phrase, "leap and the net will appear"? I channelled that mantra a year ago, and I'm so much happier! I'm 32. Went into music education. I am now in HR. I'm glad I made the switch!”

“Hi Paula, at age 52, husband packed in his job to follow his passion and went back to college to do post primary teaching. How brave is that... so proud of him!

“Hey Paula. I worked as an account manager for a multinational. At 40 I quit to follow my dream to design and work with my hands. I now design and build composite decks. On my way from Cork to Dublin since 4amto make someone’s dream come true. Love it!” - Tom

“Hi Paula, (pls do not read out my name) I have been driving 2hours each way to a job I love for the past 4.5years. However, it has impacted on my personal life. So I've taken a demotion to get a job closer to home, knowing the chances of climbing the ladder again are very slim as those posts don't exist outside the big cities!! It's taken me a while to realise but work life balance is more important - start my new job in September!”

“Good Morning Paula, so I worked in a well paying job in Dublin for a large computer company for about five years, renting a room in a house on the Meath/Dublin border. I'd work Monday to Friday and home weekends to Offaly where I drank with my mates Fri, Sat, Sun, we had some great laughs but as the years moved on realized things had to change. I moved to Finland earning half what I was earning in Ireland but my quality of life changed dramatically. Fitter now than I've ever been. Marathons triathlons, endurance events etc. This was not a career change I had hoped for but the mental and physical change has been amazing. So no regrets!” - Jeff

“I came to Donegal to move up the ladder in my career. My wife and kids are in Wexford. That sucks, it's been two years. It's very hard on the kids. My wife has a good job. It's really hard on the relationship... But I feel trapped now as there aren't many openings for my job.”

“Hi Paula, I quit a job that was a 10 minute commute for a job that is an hour commute. I was losing my mind in the former job - it had very little chance for advancement. I’ve been in my new job since December and have already had a promotion and they are also funding post grad study for me which I’m starting in September!”

“Hi Paula - in relation to listener thinking of changing career, I am 35 and in a similar boat so a year ago I took a plunge, got a quite a sizeable loan, applied to do 2 year Masters part time in area I love. Haven't told work I am doing masters as the field is entirely unrelated. I am LOVING the course but now decided a career in this area is not for me. Even though I have a debt and practically no spare time, doing the course is personally worthwhile for me and this decision is a valuable lesson in itself- just some food for thought to your listener!”

“Farming, move your career to Farming! Work outside, variable work, progression available. Short hassle free commute. Work with lovely animals. No office politics. And you get to help feed the world. Best most rewarding career there is!” - Ed

“Hi Paula, listening to the show again from Afghanistan, gutted to be missing the amazing summer in Ireland, typical by the time I’m back so will the rain. Ran a pub before the Army, loved it. Have to say – I left the Army for 3 years and missed the craic and friendships, had to come back – but of all the summers to be Afghanistan this one was possibly the worst timing. Oh well can’t be helped!” - Tom

“Hi Paula - up to last week I flew to the UK each week. It was a nightmare getting buses at 1am to get to airport! On day 2 of new job with no regrets!”